JANUARY 2020, ISSUE 180

What’s coming up Next Meeting Garden visit to Jean and Alan’s wonderful native garden. BYO dinner When: 27th February 2020 Where: 3 Victor Court Melton South

APS MBM Sale th Corymbia ficifolia orange flowered from Dave and ’s garden When: Saturday 9 of May (February 2020) Where: St Andrews Church Gisborne Rd, Bacchus Marsh Welcome to 2020 VIC 3340

After a scorching end to 2019, the new year has welcomed some much-needed rain. Over January we had almost 100mm in our rain gauge which is in stark contrast to last year when we got barely a drop for the first three months of the

year. IN THIS ISSUE

• Welcome to 2020 For those of you how share an affection for the of Western , may be fretting somewhat with the • potting up uncharacteristic humidity we are currently enduring. So far, I • Upcoming events have lost a Victoria, which is a real shame as they are such a showy plant in flower. It is also my wife’s • Other matters namesake, which stings a little more. It managed to thrive in • Around the grounds

the 40C+ days whilst running dry in its pot, but after a week • Contact details of high rainfall and high humidity it turned pale green and

wilted. Its an example of how resilient our plants can be in their natural environments, and how fragile they can be outside if it. Happy gardening! Photos wanted I know you all have a range of fascinating plants in cultivation. What I would like you to do is photograph them and send them to me. I’ll then include them to the newsletter as banners and feature pics. A couple things I would appreciate: Eucalyptus landsdowneana-Crimson Malley from Dave and Victoria’s garden (January 2020) • Make sure the photo is in focus. Blurry photos really won’t be doing your beauties justice Hakea potting up • It’s not all about flowers! Many Australian plants GETTING READY FOR OUR PLANT SALE have foliage and seed pods that are just as th On the morning of Sunday 19 of January, an enthusiastic interesting as their group of members and friends attended the Pye residence flowers. Sometimes even for the annual potting up ceremony. With so many species more so. on offer, its hard to contain oneself! • If you would like to see At the end of the morning, approximately 400 plants were your photo as a banner, potted up. For many this meant a stroll around their make sure it’s in garden to take in many of the wonderful plants they have landscape perspective growing. A few even stuck around for a BBQ lunch. Happy • Include details! If it’s a days banksia I’ll probably have half a chance, but please include species name, where it was taken and when it was taken.

Send photos to: [email protected] with the subject APSMBM Newsletter photo

Hakea decurrens from Dave and Victoria’s garden (September 2019)

APS Melton & Bacchus Marsh Whats on

APS Melton and Bacchus Marsh DAY/TIME LOCATION Next Meeting 27th February 3 Victor Court Melton 6:00pm onwards South A visit to Jean and Alan Partridge’s garden • Explore garden • Dinner, BYO picnic. BBQ facilities will be available • Flower table • Raffle APS MBM Plant Sale 9th of May 2020 St Andrews Church Gisborne Rd, Bacchus Our annual hakea extravaganza and invited sellers Marsh VIC 3340 Other events DAY/TIME INFORMATION Banks & Solander Exhibition, Ringwood 17th February to 17th Maroondah Federation With assistance from the national Herbarium of April 2020 Estate Melbourne, this exhibition will feature six of the 32 Greenwood Ave actual specimens and 31 images of plants collected by 9am to 5.00pm on Ringwood, 3134 + weekdays Google Map Banks and Solander in 1770. Afterwards all the framed 12 noon to 4.00pm on images will be donated to the Melbourne Herbarium so they can be displayed without risking damage to Saturdays the precious 250-year-old specimens. Closed on public holidays Banks & Solander Exhibition, Karwarra 18th February to 18th Karwarra Australian The Karwarra Australian Native Botanic Garden and April 2020 Native Botanic Garden plant nursery is set on two hectares at Kalorama in the and Nursery, 1190 picturesque Dandenong Ranges. It is an ideal place for Tuesday to Friday 10am Mount Dandenong an exhibition of original paintings of by Ian to 4.00pm Tourist Rd, Kalorama, Vic Saturdays and Sundays Wallace, with art and craft works featuring unique Australian flora and fauna. Being just 20 minutes drive 1pm to 4.00pm from the Maroondah Federation Estate you could Closed on Mondays, conveniently visit both. days of Total Fire bans and extreme weather Cranbourne Friends Autumn Plant Sale 14th March to 15th March Royal Botanic Gardens Plant show and sales 10:00am to 4:00pm Cranbourne Cranbourne Gardens, Enter via cnr Ballarto Road and Botanic Drive Cranbourne , Victoria 3977 Australia + Google Map Other matters Calendars: Due to the cost of postage, we decide not to mail these out this year. If you are owed a calendar, please let me know. We will have them at our meetings. Other arrangements can be made upon request. We have additional calendars available for purchase at $15 each

APS Melton & Bacchus Marsh Around the grounds

Lucile posing with Matilda the Gymea lily seed pod, Dave (Doryanthes excelsa). After a gestation of 20+ and Victoria’s garden December years they finally have a flower spike! Photo by 2019 Norris January 2020

Banksia Baxteri flower, Dave and Victoria’s garden February 2020

APS Melton & Bacchus Marsh Contacts

Australian Plants Society – Melton & Bacchus Marsh Inc. Incorporated in Victoria: A0026204P ABN: 68 053 689 781

APS Melton & Bacchus Marsh Committee 2019/20 President David Johnstone Vice President David Pye Secretary (vacant) email: [email protected] Public Officer David Pye Treasurer Norris McCarthy Committee Lucille McCarthy, Barb Pye, Sue Ehrenberg Newsletter Editor David Johnstone 0419 485 457 email: [email protected]

Find us on Facebook!

Website: www.apsvic.org.au/aps-melton-bacchus-marsh/ APS Victoria website: www.apsvic.org.au ANPSA: www.anpsa.org.au

Postal address:

PO Box 946 Bacchus Marsh VIC 3340

Bank details:

Bendigo Bank, Bacchus Marsh Acc: Australian Plant Society – Melton & Bacchus Marsh Inc BSB: 633 000 Acc No: 158993733

MEETINGS: 4th Thursday of the month, Feb – Jun, Aug – Nov (doors open at 7.30pm) VENUE: Botanica Springs Community Centre, 249 Clarkes Rd, Brookfield

All contributions to the newsletter are gratefully received. Please send a word document to the group’s email address. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me via email or phone. I am also happy to research a subject for an article if you give me a topic you would like to see explored.

Disclaimer: Any errors in this publication are by the editor.

APS Melton & Bacchus Marsh